![Don samuel ruiz con atenco](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Don_samuel_ruiz_con_atenco.jpg)
Samuel Ruiz García (3 November 1924 – 24 January 2011) was a
Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
prelate
A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...
who served as
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
of the
Diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas,
Chiapas
Chiapas (; Tzotzil language, Tzotzil and Tzeltal language, Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, ...
, from 1959 until 1999.
Ruiz is best known for his role as mediator during the conflict between the
Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) and the
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), a Mexican political party which had held power for over seventy years, and whose policies were often disadvantageous to the
indigenous populations
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
of Chiapas. Inspired by
Liberation Theology, which swept through the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
in
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
after the 1960s, Ruiz's diocese helped some hundreds of thousands of indigenous
Maya people in Chiapas who were among Mexico's poorest marginalized communities.
Early life and seminary
Samuel Ruiz García was the first of five children, born on 3 November 1924 in
Guanajuato
Guanajuato (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato), is one of the 32 states that make up the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 46 municipalities and its capital city i ...
, Mexico, to Guadalupe García, who worked as a maid for upper-class families, and Maclovio Ruiz Mejía, an agricultural worker.
Ruiz grew up as a Catholic in a modest family during the
Cristero War, a time in which the Church was being persecuted and many were killed or assassinated in Mexico by the anti-Catholic ruling government.
At the age of fifteen, Ruiz completed high school and
seminary
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
at León in Guanajuato.
He continued his studies at the Jesuit
Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school (pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy.
The Gregorian originated as ...
in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
where he focused on
Sacred Scripture, earning his doctorate in 1952.
In 1949 he was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
to the
priesthood.
Priesthood
After receiving his doctorate in
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
and
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
from Gregorian University, Ruiz returned to Guanajuato where he taught at the León seminary.
In 1960, Ruiz was consecrated bishop of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas of Chiapas Mexico, where he remained until he retired in 2000.
San Cristóbal de las Cases is made up mostly of the
highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...
s of Chiapas, comprising largely poor, indigenous communities who speak a variety of
Mayan languages.
In his early years as bishop, Ruiz subscribed to traditional views of the Church and
evangelization
In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are i ...
.
Ruiz's first
pastoral letter acknowledged the dangers of
communism
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
developing in Mexico, reading "Behind a creed that flaunts a banner of social justice, communism has been sneaking in falsehoods,
hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is the practice of engaging in the same behavior or activity for which one criticizes another or the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform. In moral psychology, it is the ...
,
deceit
Deception or falsehood is an act or statement that misleads, hides the truth, or promotes a belief, concept, or idea that is not true. It is often done for personal gain or advantage. Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda and sleight o ...
, and
calumny.”
Earlier methods of evangelization within the diocese were largely top-down practices that focused on
Western methods of social change. Often catechists communicated messages of
passivity to the indigenous communities rather than fostering consciousness-raising, which was consistent with government policy at the time, often in the name of "development" and “
civilizing
A civilization (or civilisation) is any complex society characterized by the development of a state, social stratification, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyond natural spoken language (namely, a writing system).
Ci ...
” the
Indians
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
.
Not long after arriving in San Cristóbal, Ruiz set out on a mule to tour his diocese, visiting every town and village over which he held
jurisdiction
Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels.
Jur ...
. During his travels, he discovered the incredible
poverty
Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects. When evaluating poverty in ...
and
marginalization that communities in his diocese were inflicted with, realizing what the true reality was for many indigenous communities in Chiapas.
His 1993 pastoral letter reflects this experience, in which Ruiz comments on the past actions taken by him and his diocese, admitting that they were culturally destructive and explaining that "We only had our own
ethnocentric
Ethnocentrism in social science and anthropology—as well as in colloquial English discourse—means to apply one's own culture or ethnicity as a frame of reference to judge other cultures, practices, behaviors, beliefs, and people, instead of ...
criteria to judge customs. Without realizing it, we were on the side of those who
oppressed the indigenous".
Ruiz began to slowly identify and challenge the structures of oppression, questioning the structure of the government and
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
, as well as figures within the church who were furthering these systems. He encouraged indigenous communities to take charge of their own lives, and openly voiced that the poor of Chiapas were victims of
structural oppression and
institutionalized violence. Gradually, Ruiz underwent a series of
conversion
Conversion or convert may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman''
* "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series
* "The Conversion" ...
experiences, leading him to take up the cause of the Mayan indigenous population in his diocese and to develop an
inculturate
In Christianity, inculturation is the adaptation of Christian teachings and practices to cultures. This is a term that is generally used by Catholics, whereas Protestantism, Protestants, especially associated with the World Council of Churches, p ...
d approach to indigenous Catholicism and evangelization.
Ruiz "learned to speak four
Mayan languages."
Vatican II (1962-1965)
In 1962, the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
(1962-1965) convened, focusing on the
social responsibility of Christians and on opening the Church to theological development and dialogue. Vatican II encouraged that sermons be translated and read to communities in their local languages and that the Church be more involved in addressing social problems, such as those occurring in Central and South America.
For Ruiz, his participation in the Second Vatican Council allowed time for reflection on the decisions and actions carried out under his administration, which brought him a long way from the somewhat naïve enthusiasm which he'd had during his first years as bishop.
It was Vatican II which inspired Ruiz to translate scripture into local indigenous languages and into practice, with an emphasis on inculturation.
Medellín Conference (1968)
In 1967, Bishop Ruiz became the president of the Mexican Bishop's Committee on Indigenous Peoples (CEPI), and in 1968 he was named the president of the Department of Missions of
The Conference of Latin American Bishops (CELAM), also called the
Medellín Conference. This was a position which he held until 1972 when elections for secretary general chose
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
Alfonso López Trujillo
Alfonso López Trujillo (8 November 1935 – 19 April 2008) was a Colombian Cardinal Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church and president of the Pontifical Council for the Family.
Biography Youth
Born in Villahermosa, Tolima, López Trujillo mov ...
, who proceeded to replace
progressive
Progressive may refer to:
Politics
* Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform
** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context
* Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...
department heads, such as Ruiz, with his own
conservative allies.
Out of this conference, held in Medellín,
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
, in 1968, emerged a consensus that the root of poverty and oppression in Latin America was a
systemic
Systemic fundamental to a predominant social, economic, or political practice. This refers to:
In medicine
In medicine, ''systemic'' means affecting the whole body, or at least multiple organ systems. It is in contrast with ''topical'' or ''loc ...
problem, one which grew out of the ethic of expansion and
development by United States
imperialism
Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...
.
Ruiz found some convergence between the bishops' growing concern for the poor and
disenfranchised
Disfranchisement, also called disenfranchisement, or voter disqualification is the restriction of suffrage (the right to vote) of a person or group of people, or a practice that has the effect of preventing a person exercising the right to vote. D ...
and
Marxist
Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...
approaches to
class analysis, which emphasized that the great conflict between "capital" and “
labor” had its origins in the
exploitation of workers by "the entrepreneurs following the principle of maximum profit," Such analysis also found support in
dependency theory, the idea that the economies of certain countries are conditioned by the development or expansion of another economy to which the former is subjected.
Many in the Catholic Church condemned these ideas as communism, claiming that they undermined the Church's mission and reduced the
Gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
to a purely earthly one. The United States and Latin American governments also responded with threatening
hostility
Hostility is seen as form of emotionally charged aggressive behavior. In everyday speech it is more commonly used as a synonym for anger and aggression.
It appears in several psychological theories. For instance it is a facet of neuroticism in ...
. The United States supported Latin American militaries in their methods of assassinating those who subscribed to liberation theology and conducting
low-intensity warfare
A low-intensity conflict (LIC) is a military conflict, usually localised, between two or more state or non-state groups which is below the intensity of conventional war. It involves the state's use of military forces applied selectively and with ...
against
guerrilla groups.
Changes in the Diocese of Chiapas in light of Liberation Theology
The diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas (Chiapas), under Samuel Ruiz's direction, began to redefine evangelization methods and to abandon the traditional approach of
Europeanizing indigenous peoples, instead
incarnating the gospel in the local culture of each community. Catechists no longer delivered the Word of God to the communities with which they worked, but incorporated the Gospel within the cultural traditions and day-to-day lives of the indigenous.
This meant committing themselves to learning the culture and languages of Chiapas, organizing services and discussions in indigenous languages, and inculturating local customs that could be integrated into the Word of God.
By doing so, and by translating the Bible into indigenous languages, this work allowed for the poor of San Cristóbal to begin identifying parallels between their own experiences of oppression with those in Biblical passages, most notably the
Exodus
Exodus or the Exodus may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible
* The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan
Historical events
* Ex ...
.
Rather than focusing only on the religious affairs that they had once been restricted to, catechists began fostering discussion of economic and political matters that impacted people's daily lives.
Passivity was replaced by these new methods of catechists, and through the development of
base communities, which built the framework for reflection and
collective action
Collective action refers to action taken together by a group of people whose goal is to enhance their condition and achieve a common objective. It is a term that has formulations and theories in many areas of the social sciences including psych ...
.
Indigenous poor no longer accepted the "low wages they earned on plantations, the lack of security in their land titles, the corruption of government agencies, and the abuses of merchants and landowners", instead using "their religious faith and interpretation of the Bible to create concrete solutions to immediate problems".
![DelasCasasParraDF](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/DelasCasasParraDF.JPG)
In 1989, Bishop Ruiz founded the Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Rights Center to push back against increasing violence against indigenous and campesino activists in his diocese.
Mediation
This
theology of liberation
Liberation theology is a Christian theological approach emphasizing the liberation of the oppressed. In certain contexts, it engages socio-economic analyses, with "social concern for the poor and political liberation for oppressed peoples". In ...
, however, appeared threatening to government structures and those with political and economic power, and in some cases oppression of rural and urban poor in Mexico and other areas of Latin America grew worse. Areas which practiced these new ways of interpreting the Bible and encouraged the poor to fight for their
human rights
Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
were labeled Marxists and, often under government orders,
para-militaries conducted
counter-insurgent campaigns using low-intensity warfare to target civilians who supported these
resistance movements. The indigenous started to realize that the cause of their poverty was their lack of
freedom
Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...
and
democracy
Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...
, a
repression that grew out of the policies of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) government.
EZLN Uprising
On 1 January 1994, the date that
NAFTA
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA ; es, Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte, TLCAN; french: Accord de libre-échange nord-américain, ALÉNA) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States that crea ...
came into effect, a group of several hundred indigenous guerrillas occupied several transit routes and government offices in San Cristóbal de las Casas and other cities in the highlands. These occupations, a response to increased marginalization of Indians at the hands of their government, were carried out under the name of the previously unheard of Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), a name inspired by
Emiliano Zapata, a leading figure during the
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...
who stood as a powerful symbol of the equity and social justice that the men and women of Mexico's rural south demanded of their government.
The Mexican government, who for years had silenced protests in Chiapas in order to create the political and economic conditions needed to ensure its admission into NAFTA, was outraged and blamed Ruiz's pastoral practices and consciousness-raising techniques as one of the roots of the
Zapatista Uprising.
The PRI, which had
monopolize
In United States antitrust law, monopolization is illegal monopoly behavior. The main categories of prohibited behavior include exclusive dealing, price discrimination, refusing to supply an essential facility, product tying and predatory pricing. ...
d power for nearly 70 years, attempted to respond to the uprisings with military pressure – implementing strategies of low-intensity warfare to terrorize the civilian population that supported the Zapatistas.
Mediation
Reflecting on these events, Bishop Ruiz later explained that "It became clear that the diocese could not be absent from the situation. Our job was neither to represent the Zapatistas to the government nor to represent the government to the Zapatistas, but rather to offer a mediation in which there could be mutual confidence in talks".
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) attracted national and international attention as negotiations with government authorities were underway, for which Ruiz was elected
mediator
Mediator may refer to:
*A person who engages in mediation
*Business mediator, a mediator in business
* Vanishing mediator, a philosophical concept
* Mediator variable, in statistics
Chemistry and biology
*Mediator (coactivator), a multiprotein ...
and during which the guerrillas demanded not only
constitutional recognition, but
reformation of the state and systemic structures which were the root of their oppression.
The military site
Once
Subcomandante Marcos was identified as
Rafael Guillén
Rafael Guillén (born in Granada, 27 April 1933) is a Spanish poet, a prominent member of the Generation of '50.
"National Prize for Literature" in Spain (1994) and one of the most important authors of his generation, he has a long artistic c ...
, on 9 February 1995, in a counterproductive turn of events, President
Ernesto Zedillo made a series of decisions that completely broke with the strategy and action plan previously defined and the agreements he authorized his Secretary of Interior Lic
Esteban Moctezuma
Esteban Moctezuma Barragán (born 21 October 1954 in Mexico City) is a Mexican politician formerly affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and is currently a member of MORENA. He is a former Senator and served as Secretary of ...
to compromise with
Marcos just 3 days before in Guadalupe
Tepeyac.
Zedillo sent the Mexican army to capture or annihilate
Marcos without consulting his Secretary of Interior, without knowing exactly who
Marcos was, and only with the
PGR single presumption that
Marcos was a dangerous guerrilla. Despite these circumstances, President
Ernesto Zedillo decided to launch a military offensive to capture or annihilate
Marcos. Arrest warrants were issued against
Marcos,
Javier Elorriaga Berdegue, Silvia Fernández Hernández, Jorge Santiago, Fernando Yanez, German Vicente, Jorge Santiago and other Zapatistas. At the
Lacandon Jungle, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation was then under the
Mexican Army military siege. The
PGR was after them.
Javier Elorriaga
Javier Elorriaga Berdeque (born 13 May 1961) is a Mexican journalist who was alleged to have joined the EZLN (Zapatista) revolutionary movement in Chiapas, Mexico, in the 1980s, taking the nom de guerre ''Vicente''. He is married to Maria Gloria ...
got captured on 9 February 1995, in a military garrison at Gabina Velázquez that is in
Las Margaritas, Chiapas
Las Margaritas is a city, and the surrounding municipality of the same name, in the Mexican state of Chiapas. The municipal seat is located some 25 km to the northeast of Comitán de Domínguez, while the municipality extends to the east as f ...
, town and later taken to the Cerro Hueco prison in
Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Tuxtla Gutiérrez (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Mexican southeastern state of Chiapas. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name, the most developed and populated in the state. A busy government, commercial and servi ...
, Chiapas.
On 11 February 1995, the
PGR reported that they made an operation in the State of Mexico, where they captured 14 persons presumed to be involved with the Zapatistas, of which 8 had already been turned in to the Judicial Authorities, and they'd seized an important arsenal. The
PGR repressive acts got to the extreme of arresting the San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Catholic Bishop,
Samuel Ruiz García
Samuel Ruiz García (3 November 1924 – 24 January 2011) was a Mexican Catholic prelate who served as bishop of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, from 1959 until 1999. Ruiz is best known for his role as mediator during ...
, for aiding to conceal the Zapatistas guerrilla activity. Yet, this activity was public years before the uprising, reported in
''Proceso'' (magazine), among Mexico's most important magazines, and it was the
Mexican Government
The Federal government of Mexico (alternately known as the Government of the Republic or ' or ') is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by its constitution to share sovereignty over the republi ...
who was for years trying to disguise it. There was also no consideration of the political consequences of, with no legal reason, hurting the already seriously damaged, recently restored
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
Vatican Diplomatic relations. hurt by the 24 May 1993, political assassination of a Prince of the Catholic Church, the Guadalajara, Mexico Cardinal
Juan Jesús Posadas Ocampo, that precisely that Agency, the
PGR, had left it unresolved..
Marcos' resolve was put to the test when the Zapatista Army of National Liberation was under the
Mexican Army military siege, in their camp and at the
Lacandon Jungle.
Marcos' response was immediate, sending
Esteban Moctezuma
Esteban Moctezuma Barragán (born 21 October 1954 in Mexico City) is a Mexican politician formerly affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and is currently a member of MORENA. He is a former Senator and served as Secretary of ...
the following message: "See you in hell". Conflicting signals got strengthened in favor of a fast military solution. The facts seemed to confirm
Manuel Camacho Solis
Manuel may refer to:
People
* Manuel (name)
* Manuel (Fawlty Towers), a fictional character from the sitcom ''Fawlty Towers''
* Charlie Manuel, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies
* Manuel I Komnenos, emperor of the Byzantine Empire
* Manu ...
' 16 June 1994, accusations that the reason for his resignation as the Chiapas Peace Commissioner was due to sabotage done by the then presidential candidate
Ernesto Zedillo.
Under heavy political pressure of a highly radicalized situation, Mexico Secretary of the Interior Lic.
Esteban Moctezuma
Esteban Moctezuma Barragán (born 21 October 1954 in Mexico City) is a Mexican politician formerly affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and is currently a member of MORENA. He is a former Senator and served as Secretary of ...
believed a peaceful solution was possible. He championed to reach a peacefully negotiated solution to the
1995 Zapatista Crisis
The 1995 Zapatista Crisis refers to the aftermath of the 1994 Zapatista uprisings, which began as a result of the 1991 revision of Article 27 of Mexico's Constitution. This revision caused unrest in Chiapas's Southern Mexican state, as many indig ...
betting it all on a creative strategy to reestablish the
Mexican Government
The Federal government of Mexico (alternately known as the Government of the Republic or ' or ') is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by its constitution to share sovereignty over the republi ...
Zapatista Army of National Liberation dialog to search for peace by demonstrating
Marcos' natural peace vocation and the terrible consequences of a military solution. Making a strong position against the 9 February actions against peace, Secretary of the Interior
Esteban Moctezuma
Esteban Moctezuma Barragán (born 21 October 1954 in Mexico City) is a Mexican politician formerly affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and is currently a member of MORENA. He is a former Senator and served as Secretary of ...
, defender of a political solution to the
1995 Zapatista Crisis
The 1995 Zapatista Crisis refers to the aftermath of the 1994 Zapatista uprisings, which began as a result of the 1991 revision of Article 27 of Mexico's Constitution. This revision caused unrest in Chiapas's Southern Mexican state, as many indig ...
, submitted his resignation to President
Ernesto Zedillo, who does not accept it but asks the Secretary of the Interior
Esteban Moctezuma
Esteban Moctezuma Barragán (born 21 October 1954 in Mexico City) is a Mexican politician formerly affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and is currently a member of MORENA. He is a former Senator and served as Secretary of ...
to try the improbable task of restoring the conditions for dialog and negotiation. For these foregoing reasons the Mexican army eased actions, giving an opportunity that
Marcos capitalized on to escape the military site in the
Lacandon Jungle. Faced with this situation,
Max Appedole
Max García Appedole (born February 10, 1957 in Tampico Tamaulipas, Mexico) is a Mexican entrepreneur and political activist. Appedole is considered an important advocate for the Mexican Government's peaceful solution with the Zapatista Army of N ...
and
Rafael Guillén
Rafael Guillén (born in Granada, 27 April 1933) is a Spanish poet, a prominent member of the Generation of '50.
"National Prize for Literature" in Spain (1994) and one of the most important authors of his generation, he has a long artistic c ...
, childhood friends and colleagues at the
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
College
Instituto Cultural Tampico, asked for help from
Edén Pastora, the legendary Nicaraguan "Commander Zero", to prepare a report for under-Secretary of the Interior
Luis Maldonado Venegas, the Secretary of the Interior
Esteban Moctezuma
Esteban Moctezuma Barragán (born 21 October 1954 in Mexico City) is a Mexican politician formerly affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and is currently a member of MORENA. He is a former Senator and served as Secretary of ...
, and the President
Ernesto Zedillo about
Marcos' natural pacifist vocation and the terrible consequences of a tragic outcome. The document concluded that the marginalized groups and the radical left that exist in
México have been activated with the Zapatistas movement, while
Marcos maintains an open negotiating track. Eliminate Marcos and his social containment work will cease, giving opportunity to the radical groups to take control of the movement. They will respond to violence with violence. They would begin terrorist bombings, kidnappings, and belligerent activities. The country would be in a dangerous spiral, which could lead to very serious situations because there is discomfort not only in
Chiapas
Chiapas (; Tzotzil language, Tzotzil and Tzeltal language, Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, ...
but in many places in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
.
Identity
During the investigative stage to identify
Subcomandante Marcos, the
Mexican government
The Federal government of Mexico (alternately known as the Government of the Republic or ' or ') is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by its constitution to share sovereignty over the republi ...
speculated that he was a dangerous guerrilla fighter. This theory gained much traction at the end of 1994, after the dissident Zapatista Comandante Salvador Morales Garibay gave away the identity of his former fellow Zapatistas to the
Mexican government
The Federal government of Mexico (alternately known as the Government of the Republic or ' or ') is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by its constitution to share sovereignty over the republi ...
, among them
Marcos identity. They all were indicted for terrorism, warrants were issued, and arrests were made in a military action. The
Mexican government
The Federal government of Mexico (alternately known as the Government of the Republic or ' or ') is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by its constitution to share sovereignty over the republi ...
alleged some Zapatistas to be terrorists, among them
Marcos. There was a storm of political pressure for a fast military solution to the
1995 Zapatista Crisis
The 1995 Zapatista Crisis refers to the aftermath of the 1994 Zapatista uprisings, which began as a result of the 1991 revision of Article 27 of Mexico's Constitution. This revision caused unrest in Chiapas's Southern Mexican state, as many indig ...
. On 9 February 1995, in a televised special Presidential broadcast, President
Ernesto Zedillo announced
Subcomandante Marcos to be one
Rafael Sebastián Guillén Vicente, born 19 June 1957, in
Tampico,
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
, to
Spanish immigrants, a former professor at
Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana School of Sciences and Arts for the Design. After the government revealed
Marcos identity in January 1995, as
Rafael Guillén
Rafael Guillén (born in Granada, 27 April 1933) is a Spanish poet, a prominent member of the Generation of '50.
"National Prize for Literature" in Spain (1994) and one of the most important authors of his generation, he has a long artistic c ...
, an old friend and classmate with the
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
at the
Instituto Cultural Tampico, directly intervened in the conflict:
Max Appedole
Max García Appedole (born February 10, 1957 in Tampico Tamaulipas, Mexico) is a Mexican entrepreneur and political activist. Appedole is considered an important advocate for the Mexican Government's peaceful solution with the Zapatista Army of N ...
played a major role with the
Mexican government
The Federal government of Mexico (alternately known as the Government of the Republic or ' or ') is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by its constitution to share sovereignty over the republi ...
to avoid a military solution to the
1995 Zapatista Crisis
The 1995 Zapatista Crisis refers to the aftermath of the 1994 Zapatista uprisings, which began as a result of the 1991 revision of Article 27 of Mexico's Constitution. This revision caused unrest in Chiapas's Southern Mexican state, as many indig ...
. He demonstrated that contrary to the accusations announced by President
Ernesto Zedillo,
Rafael Guillén
Rafael Guillén (born in Granada, 27 April 1933) is a Spanish poet, a prominent member of the Generation of '50.
"National Prize for Literature" in Spain (1994) and one of the most important authors of his generation, he has a long artistic c ...
was no terrorist.
Max Appedole
Max García Appedole (born February 10, 1957 in Tampico Tamaulipas, Mexico) is a Mexican entrepreneur and political activist. Appedole is considered an important advocate for the Mexican Government's peaceful solution with the Zapatista Army of N ...
recognized his literary style in all
Marcos' manifestos that were published in the media, and linked them to their forensic debates organized by the
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
in which they competed in Mexico. He confirmed that he had no doubt that
Marcos was his friend
Rafael Guillén
Rafael Guillén (born in Granada, 27 April 1933) is a Spanish poet, a prominent member of the Generation of '50.
"National Prize for Literature" in Spain (1994) and one of the most important authors of his generation, he has a long artistic c ...
, a pacifist.
San Andrés Accords
National and international support of the Zapatistas' demands increased and in 1996 the
San Andrés Accords were signed by the EZLN and the federal government. This committed the parties to basic respect for the diversity of the indigenous population of Chiapas, granted the right to participation in determining their development plans, control over administrative and
judicial affairs, and
self-government. However, the proposal for the implementation of these conditions was accepted by EZLN, but refused by
President Zedillo. Time showed that the effort against a military solution to the conflict and for the strategy to achieve a peaceful solution to the
1995 Zapatista Crisis
The 1995 Zapatista Crisis refers to the aftermath of the 1994 Zapatista uprisings, which began as a result of the 1991 revision of Article 27 of Mexico's Constitution. This revision caused unrest in Chiapas's Southern Mexican state, as many indig ...
was legal, politically and honorably correct, and saved many lives in Mexico.
Resignation
In 1998, Bishop Samuel Ruiz resigned from his position as peace mediator, accusing the government of “
simulating
A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or process, whereas the s ...
” a
peace process, and the committee disbanded.
Ruiz continued to act as a protector and supporter of Chiapas and to advocate for human rights for the indigenous until his death in 2011. Following his resignation, he was succeeded by Bishop Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel, a socially progressive supporter.
Death
On 24 January 2011, at the age of 86, Samuel Ruiz García died at Hospital Ángeles del Pedregal in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, due to respiratory failure and other complications, including high blood pressure and diabetes.
During the
Mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
in Mexico City which commemorated Don Samuel, other bishops described Ruiz as "a person whose actions were discussed and condemned by a section of society, but for the poor and for those who worked with him, Don Samuel was a bright light". Don Samuel, known as jTatic Samuel, was buried in San Cristobal de las Casas, in the cathedral, after a heartfelt and jubilant celebration of his life and ministry.
Awards
In 1996, Samuel Ruiz received the
Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award
The ''Pacem in Terris'' Peace and Freedom Award is a Catholic peace award which has been given annually since 1964, in commemoration of the 1963 encyclical letter '' Pacem in terris'' (Peace on Earth) of Pope John XXIII. It is awarded "to honor ...
for his fight against injustice and institutionalized violence inflicted on the poor and oppressed of his diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas.
In 1997, Ruiz received the
Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders.
Samuel Ruiz was awarded the
Simon Bolivar International Prize by UNESCO in 2000 for his work to defend the indigenous peoples of Chiapas, for his role as mediator between the government and the
Zapatista Army of National Liberation, and for his commitment to the promotion of human rights and social justice for Latin America peoples.
Samuel Ruiz was also nominated for the
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemi ...
in 1994, 1995, and 1996 by, among others,
Rigoberta Menchú
Rigoberta Menchú Tum (; born 9 January 1959) is a K'iche' Guatemalan human rights activist, feminist, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Menchú has dedicated her life to publicizing the rights of Guatemala's Indigenous peoples during and after t ...
and
Adolfo Pérez Esquivel
Adolfo Pérez Esquivel (born 26 November 1931) is an Argentine activist, community organizer, painter, writer and sculptor. He was the recipient of the 1980 Nobel Peace Prize for his opposition to Argentina's last civil-military dictatorship (1 ...
.
Notes
References
External links
Catholic Hierarchy: Samuel Ruiz García*
ttp://www.martinennalsaward.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=84&Itemid=106&lang=en Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders: Samuel Ruiz García
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruiz, Samuel
1924 births
2011 deaths
20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Mexico
People from Irapuato
People from Guanajuato
Mexican human rights activists
Liberation theologians
Participants in the Second Vatican Council
Mexican expatriates in Italy
Pontifical Gregorian University alumni
International Simón Bolívar Prize recipients